Jobs in accounting and finance can be known for their demanding hours due to tight deadlines and volume of work, but achieving work-life balance is not just a luxury—it's essential for sustained success and personal well-being. Recent studies have underscored the significance of this balance, with statistics showing that 78% of finance professionals believe achieving work-life balance is crucial to job satisfaction.
Why? A well-balanced life allows you to rest, recharge, and pursue your personal interests, which in turn, enhances your productivity, creativity, and engagement at work. Work-Life balance does more than just reduce burnout; it enhances job performance, fosters creativity, and improves overall life satisfaction. For finance professionals, where the pace can be relentless, finding this balance is particularly crucial.
It's important to remember that work-life balance looks different for everyone. For some, it might mean remote / hybrid work or flexible working hours to accommodate family life or personal interests. For others, it could be about setting boundaries for work hours to ensure time for health and hobbies.
Here are a few ways that A&F professionals we’ve helped level up in their career recently have adopted a better work life balance:
- Flexible Schedules: It's normal to juggle commitments beyond the workplace, which is why discussing flexible start/end times with your manager could offer a practical solution. Whether you’re exploring the option to shift your hours ahead or back by a couple of hours daily, or perhaps adjusting the schedule for one particular day a week, it’s beneficial to approach the conversation with a clear proposal in mind. However, it’s equally important to remain open to negotiation, striving for a middle ground that aligns with both your needs and the company’s objectives.
- Remote Work Options: Working from home one or more days per week to cut down on commute times and enhance focus can make a huge improvement to your overall work life balance, and with more and more firms recognising this, it’s becoming easier to have these conversations with your employer. If you’re looking for remote work, check this out.
- Mindfulness and Wellness Programs: Small changes like integrating practices such as yoga, meditation can be hugely beneficial. Firms today are putting a bigger emphasis on fostering a strong and supportive culture, so you might find your employer offers wellness sessions to reduce stress and increase mental clarity. If not, proposing a compromise, such as requesting a dedicated wellness hour each week, could be a constructive approach.
Whatever a work life balance looks like to you, establishing one shares common strategies:
- Set Boundaries: Define clear work hours and stick to them unless absolutely necessary.
- Communicate Needs: Be open with your manager about your balance needs—it’s the first step towards achieving them.
- Leverage Technology: Use tools that enhance efficiency, enabling you to maximize work output during your designated work times.
Striving for work-life balance isn't just about improving current circumstances but ensuring long-term career sustainability and happiness. If maintaining or achieving this balance in your current role feels unattainable, it might be time to explore new opportunities.